Decision Making (part 2)
Your natural inclination is to desire more choice.
This would work out well in a reality where your cognitive resources for decision-making were infinite.
Along with unicorns and enjoying decaf coffee, that reality is fictitious.
You make decisions based on the motivation to gain reward or avoid punishment.
Your mind does not effectively evaluate your methodology for decision-making in relation to how much reward you experienced.
This is why you will continue to eat cookies, despite diminishing reward over time.
Motivation and decision-making create a paradox.
Your desire for increased choice inversely correlates with your overall satisfaction about the choice you made.
Despite initial frustration of limited choice in a decision, your long-term satisfaction is higher.
As a leader, defining parameters, setting expectations, or honing focus are all skills that enable your team to make better decisions.
Cognitively, this also creates the conditions for your team to experience higher satisfaction around their performance.
If you are looking to motivate your team, providing parameters that enable clearer decision-making is a starting point.
Decaf is not a choice,
- Morning Cup